THE trustee of a Skipton charity is preparing to embark on a three-day walking challenge to raise funds for vulnerable children.

Clocking up more than 100,000 steps, 50 miles and 20 hours of rambling, Simon Thomas will walk from Skipton to Blackpool to raise funds for children’s charity, The Principle Trust.

Simon, director of Otley-based Greenholme Carpets, aims to raise £2,000 for the trust which provides respite breaks to children who are underprivileged, disadvantaged, disabled, have life-limiting conditions, or who have experienced poverty, trauma or abuse.

He will set off from Skipton Castle at 9am on Wednesday, March 1 heading east through the Ribble Valley. He will then head over the M6 towards the Fylde coastline before reaching the finish line on the Friday at Marton Mere Holiday Park, where four of the charity’s new respite holiday homes are based.

Simon, who has undertaken other fundraising challenges for the charity, said: "I’m really looking forward to my ‘Castle-to-Coast Challenge; I’ll be praying for fine weather and I’m hoping for some stunning scenery along the way."

Charity founder, Mike Davies MBE added: "Once again we are indebted to Simon for his generous support. Thanks to people like him, we’ve helped thousands of disadvantaged, disabled and poorly children to escape their everyday troubles and create happy memories with their families. Every penny Simon raises will help us to support more children across the Yorkshire region."

Donations can be made at www.localgiving.org/fundraising/simons-castle-to-coast-fundraising-walk/